Rev. Mr. Hancock was commissioned to work in Council Bluffs by the board of domestic missions of the Presbyterian church.
On October 12, 1856, the church came into being. Its charter members were Narcissa Beck, Malena R. Hardin, Martha E. Hugart, Mr. Boyers, Margaret A. Boyers, Sarah Ellen Pusey, Maria J. Hancock, Henry P. Warren, Hannah L. Warren, Mr. Rue, Mr. Officer, Elizabeth M. Officer and Susan Lee.
Officer, Rue and Boyers formed the first official board of the church, which had a charter membership of thirteen.
First services were held on the third floor of the Empire block. Later services were in Concert hall, Keller's hall and the Congregational church.
A frame church building was erected on Pearl street, near the present location of the Citizens Power and Light company.
Foundations of a permanent place of worship were laid in the summer of 1857 at Seventh street and Willow avenue. Because of a depression the super-structure was not completed until April 18, 1866.
In 1883, owing to increase in membership, another building, the present church, was proposed. It was completed on Jan. 20, 1889.
The church today has more than 600 members.
Its pastors have been: John Hancock, William McCandlish, James H. Clark, William Hamilton, T.H. Cleland, Alfred K. Bates, Stephen H. Phelps, W.S. Barnes, Marcus McClure, Frederick W. Evans, Alfred Van Orden, Paul Calhoun and C. Carson Bransby, present pastor.]]> Police Link Presbyterian Fire With 2 Other Church Breakins September 25, 1950
Fire Marshal Is Called To Bluffs - to Aid In Probe At Presbyterian Church September 26, 1950
Two Church Fires Possibly Started - Investigators Study Evidence Of Arson September 27, 1950
Study Of Church Blaze Concludes - Deputy Fire Marshall Will Submit Report September 28, 1950
Name Chairmen For Fund Drive - First Presbyterian Sets $100,000 Goal September 6, 1952
Committee Heads For Presbyterian Fund Drive September 8, 1952
Approves Plans For Church Structure July 26, 1954
Break Ground For Church Structure August 2, 1954
Lay Cornerstone For Church Unit - Hold Ceremony At First Presbyterian October 18, 1954
Church To Dedicate Educational Unit September 11, 1955
Presbyterian Church To Mark 100th Anniversary - Pageant Will Open Activities . . . September 8, 1956
Rededication Services Set - Dr. Calhoun To Speak At First Presbyterian October 13, 1956
300 Persons Attend Centennial Banquet October 13, 1956
Old Church Bell To Be Memorial For Publisher - At First Presbyterian October 20, 1956
Huge Church Bell Hoisted Into Place March 6, 1957
Presbyterians Buy Oda Sulley Home October 24, 1957
Mortgage Burning January 19, 1961
Know Your Scenes: August 5, 1962
Stained Glass Windows Adorn Churches - History Along With Beauty July 6, 1974
Old Church Coming Down July 8, 1974
Easy Does It! July 21, 1974
Church Building Dies - Thinking Out Loud July 26, 1974
Church Demolished August 17, 1974
New Sanctuary Is Planned - For First Presbyterian September 25, 1976
Groundbreaking Set For April 24 April 16, 1977
Groundbreaking April 25, 1977
First Church Above Ground July 30, 1977
Finishing Touches October 18, 1977
C.B. Church Construction For 1978 Is Looking Good December 31, 1977
First U. Presbyterian To Dedicate Sanctuary April 1, 1978
First Church Will Host Presbytery Day February 10, 1979
First Presbyterian Pony Express Event October 25, 1980
Stewardship Campaign Begins Sunday At First Presbyterian November 8, 1980
First Presbyterian To Mark 125 Years October 3, 1981
Church Marks 125th Year October 12, 1981
First Presbyterian Installs Chair Lift December 4, 1982
1st Presbyterian Notes 130th Year October 12, 1985
First Presbyterian Church Celebrates 130th Year October 11, 1986
Grace, First Deadlock On Yoke Issue November 10, 1990]]> V.P. USA]]> George Bush to visit Bluffs. November 30, 1979
Bush makes Bluffs speech. December 3, 1979
Bush: I'm closing the gap on Ronald Reagan; For the GOP presidential nod. December 4, 1979
Law officials anticipate safe visit for VP Bush. October 18, 1984
Bush: No action on manual until probe completed. October 20, 1984
Excitement, patriotism fill air for Bush's visit. October 20, 1984
Ferraro 'zero' on agriculture, Bush tells Council Bluffs crowd. October 20, 1984
Bush plans Bluffs stop on March 5. February 12, 1987
Bush will visit Bluffs next week. February 24, 1987
Bush tops straw poll. March 1, 1987
Bush may miss local GOP. March 1, 1987
Secret Service clears Bluffs for Bush. March 2, 1987
Bush will answer questions from invited area Republicans. March 5, 1987
Bluffs-bound Bush woos Iowa. March 6, 1987
Bush: Market expansion will end farm woes. March 7, 1987
Vice President Bush to visit C.B., SWI points next Friday. October 16, 1987
SWI students fire questions at Bush. October 24, 1987
Bush scraps visit on Friday. October 21, 1987
Mrs. Bush sets campaign tour in SWI Friday. January 25, 1988
Mrs. Bush calls reading best way to improve U.S. January 30, 1988
Bush: We must defend freedom. January 20, 1988
Mrs. Bush comes to school. February 1, 1988
C.B. gives Bush's speech high marks. January 30, 1991
Bush speech draws a mixed response here. January 29, 1992
Bush visits Bluffs. November 4, 1994]]>
]]> Burlington Banks Curves and Moves Signals for Safety of Speed Train. November 7, 1934
Original Streamliner Operates Through Council Bluffs. July 26, 1946
Burlington Road Started in 1850. July 26, 1946
Burlington Has Big Program; 63 Million Set Up for 1949 Improvements. August 8, 1939
Brought Bluffs Streamlined Trains; Honors to the Zephyr. October 8, 1939
Romance Mixes With Business at Local Mail Terminal; Foreign Mail Handled Here; Sorting Here Speeds Delivery. October 8, 1939
Pioneer Zephyr Passes Million; Crashes Paper Hoop Just South of City. December 29, 1939
New Diesels On Local Lines. March 7, 1940
Three Diesels Put in Operation. March 7, 1940
Burlington Railroad May Expand Here; Plans Extensive Relocations of Yard Facilities. January 15, 1954
Burlington Railroad Buys Industrial Site; 'Vote Of Confidence' in C.B. May 16, 1956
Railroad Negotiates For Part Of Airport; Meets With City Officials. September 6, 1956
Old Landmark Evacuated By Burlington Railroad; Dates Back to Civil War Era...October 7, 1956
'Fast Mail' Service Program Slated Here; To Mark Diamond Anniversary. March 1, 1959
Railroads Will Rise To Challenge--Siedle; 125 At "Fast mail' Observance. March 11, 1959
Railroad Office Moving To Bluffs. March 15, 1962
C.B. Landmark Is Being Razed. March 13, 1964
Dump Truck Hit By Zephyr; 4 Hurt. October 15, 1966
Heading The Wrong Way. October 16, 1966
Take No Chances. October 16, 1966
Medical Attention Soon. October 16, 1966
Credit Engineer In Zephyr Crash; HIs Action Prevented More Injuries. October 16, 1966
2 Men Still Hospitalized From Crash. October 17, 1966
Driver Is Injured. April 23, 1969
Changing Names. March 1, 1970
Down It Comes. May 26, 1970
Ak-Sar-Ben Zephyr Makes Its Last Run. August 5, 1970
End Of The Line. August 9, 1970
Burlington Depot Cuts Approved. January 13, 1972
BN Plans Base Radio. April 30, 1972
BN Looks To Billion Dollar Image. April 30, 1972
Old Burlington RR Depot Is Purchased By Blue Star. June 13, 1972
Old Train Depot To Be Destroyed. November 16, 1972
Cold Fouls Rails, 23 Cars Dump. January 11, 1973
Burlington To Move Omaha Office To Denver. February 21, 1974
B-N layoffs won't affect CB workers. September 27, 1979
Wildcat strike in negotiations. March 10, 1980
Nuclear waste trains through SW Iowa? February 3, 1982
Derailment blamed on BN procedures. February 9, 1963
Engineer dies in train crash. April 13, 1983
BN to test trains[sic] radios. April 14, 1983
Result of collision. April 13, 1983]]>